An Insider’s Travel Guide to the Best Culture and Curiosities in Berlin

Berlin’s southern neighborhood of Schöneberg is home to many outstanding galleries, many of which have popped up in the burgeoning area only in the last couple of years. One of the spaces—located inside of an old building that was once the Tagesspiegel newspaper printing and packaging facility—is a gallery for fashion and design rather than “traditional” art and is carefully curated by Andreas Murkudis. The eponymous shop was opened during Berlin Fashion Week in 2011 and currently stocks a superb roster of labels like Céline, Dries Van Noten, Isaac Reina, and Maison Margiela. Outside of Murkudis’s hometown outpost, he sells his well-curated mix of clothing, decor, and beauty items to the rest of the world through Farfetch. His shops have come to be recognized as one of Berlin’s finest design-meets-fashion-meets-art concepts.

Murkudis lives with his family in the Mitte area of Berlin, the part of town where he opened his first stores. “The area has changed a lot in the last few years,” he explains. “When I moved in, there was a wide land of nothing that was just full of potential. Now there is so much growth, and I really love living here because it’s inspiring to see the involvement and enthusiasm of the city in terms of building and bringing new ideas to the landscape.” Murkudis owes much of his creative genius to Berlin’s many aesthetic and artistic wonders, whether it’s the Museum der Dinge, where he was once managing director; a meal at the Patricia Urquiola–designed restaurants inside the Das Stue hotel; or a simple walk through Tiergarten Park. “I like to stroll,” Murkudis says. “That’s when I find inspiration in this city that is very dear to me.”

Below, his most cherished spots around Berlin.

Daitokai
This Japanese restaurant has been open for over 30 years. I still haven’t found a better place for traditional Japanese food and extremely tasty sushi.

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Das Stue Hotel

Photo: Courtesy of The Das Stue Hotel

The Das Stue Hotel Restaurants
The Das Stue is a small work of art. I am always amazed by the combination of historical and modern architecture, and Patricia Urquiola’s interior design reflects a restrained taste of the highest quality. Both restaurants, Paco Pérez’s Cinco and Casual, offer very nice atmospheres for dinner.

Café Einstein
This place has a beautiful interior. While it’s a pretty popular spot in Berlin, it’s still very calm and relaxing. It’s a quiet place where you can have the best breakfast at any time of day, and the service is extraordinary. I also love the history behind it—the building used to belong to German movie star Henny Porten.

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Victoria Bar

Photo: Courtesy of Victoria Bar

Victoria Bar
Located in the western part of the city on Potsdamer Strasse, Victoria Bar is the perfect dark establishment for a classic cocktail. The bartenders are skilled mixologists and have a great knowledge of whiskeys. The walls are also decorated with amazing art.

Erich Hamann
We have actually sold Erich Hamann chocolates at Andreas Murkudis before. In Berlin, he has his own shop where you watch the chocolatiers at work, preparing all kinds of different shades and forms.

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Knopf Paul

Photo: Courtesy of @enchanted_april

Knopf Paul
This tiny shop is located in Kreuzberg, and they only sell buttons. If you ever lost a button, or are looking for a special one, he would for sure have it in his wide vintage collection.

Esther Schipper Gallery
I really enjoy going to gallery shows, particularly those at Esther Schipper. Her space always showcases some amazing contemporary vision and talent, and she represents artists who create dialogical moments in their works, sometimes by breaking through viewing habits and moving between various media.

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Museum der Dinge

Photo: Courtesy of Museum der Dinge

Museum der Dinge
For a very long time, I worked at the Museum der Dinge (translated in English to Museum of Things) as managing director. I’m very connected to all of the beautiful museums we have in Berlin, but I really like the variety and unassuming historical design at this one—you can find everything from ashtrays and teapots to pop culture kitsch.

Tiergarten Park
I am very fond of the Tiergarten Park, which is right in the middle of the city. Although it’s 520 acres with a couple of small lakes and many beautiful gardens, it’s still a quiet space away from the bustle where you can find solitude and peace.